Crafting Dimensions: Dreams of Augmented Gems
Nov
10
to Nov 18

Crafting Dimensions: Dreams of Augmented Gems

The digital realm is endlessly generative but what value is there when there is nothing to hold?

Jewels are inherently tactile, but they have physical and material constraints. Digital creation is as diverse and ephemeral as an Instagram filter or a chat-bot prompt. What happens when digital innovation merges with traditional craftsmanship?

It's hard to believe a purely digital world will be the future. While digital fashion, NFTs, the Metaverse and AI tools give artists a playground to morph and create, it is hard to replace the tactility of coveting cherished objects. Imagine a world where jewelry embodies AND transcends its physicality, embracing augmented realities and boundless possibilities.

Is jewelry designed by an AI imbued with the essence of authenticity? Can a QR code on your finger be jewelry? What adornment is revealed when you scan it in AR? What happens when the lights go out and you touch it to feel the raised Braille that says “I am a gold ring”? Ah, what then?

Please join us for the Opening Reception Friday Nov 10th 5-7pm at Five Ways.

The exhibition is open through November 18th.
The OBSESSED! Jewellery Festival focuses on jewellery-related exhibitions, lectures, workshops and open studios—in a programme put together by Current Obsession. OBSESSED! runs 1—30 November in various cities across the Netherlands and Belgium, accompanied by a free edition of Current Obsession Paper.

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'Hiding in the Wolf's Lair' at the Amsterdam Light Festival
Nov
28
to Jan 19

'Hiding in the Wolf's Lair' at the Amsterdam Light Festival

A first for ByNatalia Jewelry, our design company Nomad Tinker House collaborated with the Republic of Amsterdam Radio - a Dutch storytelling collective of self-proclaimed ‘history nerds’ to create our first large scale architectural light art work for the Amsterdam Light Festival.

The theme for the 2019 edition is ‘DISRUPT’ and ‘Hiding in the Wolf’s Lair’ is a site-specific installation at the ARTIS zoo based on what we believe to be the most disruptive event in Amsterdam's history: the Second World War.

Anne Frank wasn't the only one hiding, thousands of people hid all over the city. Even ARTIS, the zoo, hid 250-300 people during the war. They were never found thanks to the skill and wisdom of Zoo Director Armand Louis Jean Sunier. 'Hiding in the Wolf's Lair' honors the onderduikers (literally "those that dove under") and reminds us of the disruptive consequences of fearing our fellow man. Honoring history, and a poignant reminder for the wolves that roam amongst us today.

To create this piece we were lucky to interview Maarten Frankenhuis who wrote the book “Overleven in de dierentuin” (Survival in the Zoo) that details the people who hid in the zoo. Have a listen to his fascinating story on the History of the Netherlands podcast, including how he himself hid as a young boy during the occupation.

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